“Waiting In Vain” Smoked Jerk Chicken Leg Quarters

I feel like I should have jerk chicken at least once a month. If not chicken, then something jerked whether its ribs, lamb chops, or fish. These jerk chicken leg quarters met this month’s fix for that crazy hot, smoky, and aromatic Jamaican goodness! The wait was not in vain.

I don’t have access to pimento, the wood that gives jerk chicken that flavor and fragrance you find at a curbside shack in Jamaica. But I have the ingredients to make a proper brine and marinade. The brine and marinade add flavor to the outer surface as well as infuse the interior with all those wonderful jerk spices and seasonings like the fresh ginger, allspice, cinnamon, thyme, and garlic. I like my jerk with some serious heat check, but feel free to remove the seeds from the habanero/scotch bonnet peppers if you prefer a milder profile.

I chose leg quarters for this recipe, but feel free to use chicken breasts as I’ve done in other recipes or use the whole chicken for that matter. Dark meat takes longer to cook, but it’s also harder to mess up as chicken breasts can easily dry out if you’re not careful.

Jerk Chicken Cooking Key Tips

Wear gloves when handling the peppers as they are super hot

Wash knife, cutting board, and any other surface the peppers may have come into contact with

Cut slits into the chicken before marinating. This will help the chicken absorb more of the flavors

Adjust heat levels up or down by amount of peppers used as well as seeds and veins. Heat comes from the seeds and veins of chili peppers.

Let chicken reach room temperature before cooking

Allspice berries and bay leaves can help replicate flavor from pimento wood. Smolder them with your heat source when grilling

This recipe can easily be converted to oven bake if you don’t have access to a grill or prefer to use your oven.

To roast chicken in oven: Place chicken skin sides up, in large baking pan on middle of a preheated 450°F oven, until cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Then turn on broiler and broil chicken, about 4 inches from heat, until skin is browned and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes.

Recipe Notes

Wear gloves when handling the peppers as they are super hot

Wash knife, cutting board, and any other surface the peppers may have come into contact with

Cut slits into the chicken before marinating. This will help the chicken absorb more of the flavors

Adjust heat levels up or down by amount of peppers used as well as seeds and veins. Heat comes from the seeds and veins of chili peppers.

Let chicken reach room temperature before cooking

Allspice berries and bay leaves can help replicate flavor from pimento wood. Smolder them with your heat source when grilling

This recipe can easily be converted to oven bake if you don't have access to a grill or prefer to use your oven.